David De Gea will return to Manchester United pre-season training today and insists he is “very calm” despite ongoing doubt surrounding his future in the Premier League.
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The Spain shotstopper is widely tipped to join La Liga giants Real Madrid this summer having rejected a new deal worth about £200,000 (Dh1.4 million) a week from United with his heart set on a move to the Bernabeu.
However, no deal is in place and it is understood De Gea is becoming increasingly agitated by the protracted nature of the transfer.
United have set their sights on wantaway defender Sergio Ramos as part of the deal and their pursuit of the 29-year-old has complicated matters.
But when asked about his future in the early hours of the morning by Spanish TV station Cuatro, the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper confirmed he won’t depart before United’s preparations for the new season get underway.
David De Gea, asked if he will be at Manchester United training tomorrow: “Of course. That’s where I train.”
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 5, 2015
“Real Madrid? I have to return to Manchester for pre-season,” he said, before adding that he is “very calm” about events so far this
summer.
United are said to value De Gea in the region of £25m (Dh143m) and will expect Real to match that. An opening £28.6m (Dh166m) bid for Ramos was rejected by Los Blancos and they are holding out for a fee closer to £65million (Dh371m).
The journalists also tried to talk to De Gea’s girlfriend, Edurne Garcia, but she would not give anything away either: “I’m going to rest, you should too at two o’clock in the morning!”
De Gea returned to Madrid last week but insisted upon his arrival that he was only there on holiday ahead of a return to England.
According to reports Louis van Gaal will insist on double sessions for his players in a bid to get them in shape for the 2015-16 campaign.
But one player who looks unlikely to be involved in the gruelling preparations is winger Nani.
The Portugal international touched down in Turkey yesterday ahead of his proposed move to Fenerbahce and the two clubs are currently ironing out the structure of the payment. Nani is expected to sign a deal worth around £55,000 (Dh314,000) a week.
Monday’s AS reporting that Manchester United will not sell David De Gea to Real Madrid unless they get Sergio Ramos pic.twitter.com/zYPKgcgKls
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) July 5, 2015
A Fenerbahce statement simply confirmed: “Fenerbahce opened negotiations with Luis Nani and his club, Manchester United, to acquire the player.
“Nani will be in Istanbul to perform the medical examination.”
Nani penned a lucrative five-year contract with United in 2013 when David Moyes was manager but when the Scot was sacked, Nani’s role diminished under Louis van Gaal. He spent last season on loan at Sporting Lisbon.